• January 25, 2022Air bags

  Air Bags May Not Deploy

  NHTSA campaign 22V-031 · 410,619 vehicles potentially affected · Air bags

  The defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Sedona, Soul, Soul EV, 2017-2018 Forte, and 2017 Forte Koup vehicles. The Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) cover may contact a memory chip on the printed circuit board and damage the electrical circuit. Circuit damage may result in deactivated air bags that will not deploy in a crash.

  The risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

  The remedy: Dealers will inspect the ACU, and either update the software or replace the unit, as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 21, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC226.

• August 9, 2021Latches and locks

  Trunk Emergency Release May Fail/FMVSS 401

  NHTSA campaign 21V-622 · 253,074 vehicles potentially affected · Latches/locks/linkages

  The defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Forte 4-door, Forte Koup 2-door, and 2018-2019 Rio 4-door vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."

  The risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.

  The remedy: Dealers will replace the trunk latch assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 10, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC216.

• April 13, 2021Engine and cooling

  Foreign Particles May Cause Oil Pump to Fail

  NHTSA campaign 21V-260 · 4,069 vehicles potentially affected · Engine and engine cooling

  The defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Forte vehicles equipped with a 2.0L Nu MPI engine. Foreign particles may stick inside the oil pump, which may cause an oil pump failure and engine damage.

  The risk: A damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

  The remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the oil pan, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed August 16, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC210.

Check by VIN

A campaign rarely covers every Forte built in 2018. Enter your 17-character VIN to find the recall campaigns filed for your make, model and model year. The VIN is on the driver’s side of the dashboard (visible through the windshield), on the door-jamb label, and on your registration and insurance documents.

Vehicle identification number Find my recalls

Is a recall still open on your vehicle? Only NHTSA’s official VIN check can say whether a campaign applies to your exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been done.

Copy VIN and open NHTSA.gov

Your VIN is decoded with NHTSA’s public vPIC service to identify the make, model and year. It is not stored and is not added to any page address.

Other Kia Forte model years

• 2021 2
• 2019 2
• 2017 3
• 2016 1
• 2015 1
• 2014 3
• 2012 4
• 2011 3
• 2010 3

Common questions

Does the 2018 Kia Forte have any recalls?

Yes. NHTSA lists 3 campaigns for the 2018 Kia Forte: 22V-031 (Air Bags May Not Deploy); 21V-622 (Trunk Emergency Release May Fail/FMVSS 401); 21V-260 (Foreign Particles May Cause Oil Pump to Fail).

How do I know if my 2018 Kia Forte has an open recall?

Enter your VIN in NHTSA’s recall lookup. Most campaigns cover only part of a model year’s production, and the lookup also shows whether the repair has already been done on your vehicle.

Will the dealer charge to fix the 2018 Kia Forte?

No. Safety recall repairs are done free of charge by Kia dealers. Quote the NHTSA campaign number when you book.